Popular organic feeds for tomatoes include:
- Comfrey Tea
- Nettle Tea
- Compost Tea
- Seaweed Extract
- Poultry Manure
- Horse Manure
The teas are easily made from leaves, but the seaweed (if taken by you from the sea) would need a thorough wash and soak to remove all salt.
Poultry manure may carry disease unless heated and processed, so you wouldn't put raw manure directly into your soil just before planting.
Organic feeds have the advantage of avoiding the possibility of over-feeding and nutrient salt build up because organic food cannot be accessed by roots until it has been gradually digested by the friendly bacteria etc in the soil.
Soil Temperatures
For the organic grower it may be necessary to delay sowing by a week or two so that soil conditions are more favourable - the soil temperature is warmer.
Soil Air Capacity
Healthy soil is full of friendly microbes that feed and protect roots from disease. These friendly bacteria and fungi need oxygen just as the roots do, so a well drained soil with an open texture is ideal.
When roots are happy the whole plant flourishes. When roots are stressed or diseased they take resources from the plant above the soil and growth is effected.
If you are thinking about growing tomatoes using organic feed, there has never been a better time to start. You can save money too if you make your own!
More info about growing organic tomatoes here.
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